This is Part 2 of a short series on deacons. You can read more from the series on The Replant Blog or listen to Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss deacons on The Revitalize and Replant Podcast.
In Acts 6, we read Luke’s account of the establishment of the first deacons. You likely know the story, but let me share it with you.
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. (Acts 6:1–7)
The main reason deacons were established in The Book of Acts is because a need had risen that was preventing the apostles from focusing on prayer and the ministry of the Word.
Fast forward to today: Needs also arise within our churches. Having faithful deacons not only serves those in need, but they also serve the pastors, who are devoting their time to prayer and the ministry of the Word.
But because needs aren’t predictable and, in fact, often come up when we least expect them, faithful deacons require humility, flexibility, grace, and sacrifice. Jesus modeled all these character traits when he came to serve sinners through his death and resurrection.
In that regard, let me offer three marks of faithful deacons.
1. Faithful deacons humbly serve the Lord and God’s people
Faithful deacons follow the example of Christ. There’s just no place for prideful deacons who want power or who are about themselves. Deacons are called to be humble servants of God’s people. We say all the time that the Lord opposes the proud and (literally) runs toward the humble. We want deacons who exhibit humility, not pride.
This means deacons serve not for themselves, but for the good of others. They are willing to set themselves aside for the sake of someone in need. Jesus modeled the humility faithful deacons are to display in the church. Paul records exactly what that looks like:
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:3-8)
2. A faithful deacon is flexible and gracious
This is especially true in a revitalization context. You’ve got to be able to go with the flow, to understand and show grace to people.
You’ve got to understand that crazy stuff happens in the church. Sometimes our plans have to change. Sometimes, yes, you could look at the physical building and discover a pipe’s going to break and we’ve got to adapt to it. Sometimes people are a challenge and you’ve got to be flexible.
A deacon who is not flexible, who’s not willing to go with the flow to, to make adjustments or needed changes, who’s high-control, is going to struggle in serving the church. Because the church, we’re just a mess. We’re a bunch of broken people who need Jesus.
And because of that, there has to be a lot of grace. Sometimes that high-control deacon thinks of himself as the church’s guardrails. But you want a deacon who sees where Jesus is at work and wants to pivot toward that and follow that work. You want someone who wants to run the Lord’s working, not someone who digs their heels in and says, “I can give you 10 reasons why this won’t work.”
You don’t want the 10 spies who can give you a hundred reasons why we shouldn’t go into the Promised Land. You want the Joshua and Caleb who say, “We have heard from God. Let’s go up at once and take it because it belongs to us.”
Henry Blackaby used to say that, in looking for church leaders and deacons, we sometimes look in the business world and say, “This guy runs a business well, manages people well.” Sometimes those characteristics might transfer over to the church, but Blackaby warns us that often they do not.
A deacon needs to be willing to take a risk, to step out by faith, to be in the unknown, which goes completely against “business sense.” The church is not a business. It has a certain aspect of that, but that aspect is small compared to what we really are about. We’re the people of God.
3. The faithful deacon is willing to sacrifice
The most faithful deacons I’ve been blessed to serve with over the years wee those who understood that sacrifice is involved when you serve the church (and this is true of pastors as well). That means putting the wants and needs of others before your own.
That affects a deacon’s time, family, and energy. When you invest in broken and hurt people, you’re going to share in their brokenness and hurt. At times, it’s going to be painful. Jesus was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. Paul talked about how he is burdened by all the churches he cares for. A deacon is going to be brought into that. Service requires sacrifice.
Let’s remember: We can’t do any of that on our own strength, but the Lord Jesus will give us all we need to live out this kind of life. The power of the gospel transforms us to become the kind of leaders He’s called us to be. We trust Him. We can trust in His sustaining grace.
Now look how the Lord used the faithful deacons of Acts 6: “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:7)
The Lord will use faithful deacons to accomplish much for his glory in and through the local church.
Continue the conversation on deacons by listening to Episode 167 of the Revitalize and Replant Podcast with Mark Clifton.
Published September 25, 2024
